Will Emmer Drag Down Bachmann? Emmer Client Files Attorney Malpractice Lawsuit

Karl Bremer has the scoop at Ripple in Stillwater: Tom Emmer, Republican candidate for Governor of Minnesota, is the subject of an attorney malpractice lawsuit filed in Wright County District Court September 21 by a longtime supporter, friend and legal client. The lawsuit was filed by Steven R. Hackbarth and his roofing contracting company, Hackbarth Enterprises Corporation, both of Silver Lake, a McLeod County town southwest of Emmer's hometown of Delano. Emmer represented Hackbarth in a legal proceeding that resulted in a judgment against Hackbarth and cost him his state contractor’s license. According to Hackbarth, one of his roofing materials suppliers sued him in 2009 over money the supplier claimed Hackbarth owed him. “People charged my account with the supplier and they weren’t supposed to,” says Hackbarth. “I was disputing that with my supplier, so I asked Emmer to represent me. But he didn’t file the documents he was supposed to file with the court. He showed up the day of the hearing,” but beyond that, Hackbarth says, “he didn’t do nothing.” According to Hackbarth, Emmer botched his case.... Read the whole thing.

The Fabulous Marcus Bachmann's Anti-Cussing Crusade

Hart Van Denburg at the City Pages Blotter: Marcus Bachmann is shocked, offended and saddened that Tarryl Clark would stoop so low as to use a "profanity-laced attack" against his wife in a campaign ad. And if you'd just write her a check today, Michele Bachmann would feel so much better. In Fact, if she could just raise $150,000 by Friday, she'd feel just great. Thanks to the City Pages, we have the hilarious letter in its entirety: Dear [supporter] I'm disgusted with the crude attacks the left launches every day against my wife and I'm writing to you with an urgent appeal to stop them. Each week, liberals who want to defeat my wife stoop to a new low. You may remember this summer when left-wing activists littered Minnesota with posters advertising a concert called "F*** Michele Bachmann." Before that, Playboy magazine had to pull an explicit and repulsive article about conservative women, including my wife. And just a few weeks ago while campaigning for Michele's opponent, former President Bill Clinton referred to Michele and other Tea Party activists as "stupid." I had hoped Michele's opponent, Tarryl Clark, would be above this type of behavior. But I am sad to report that she has just released a 30-second attack ad that uses a false, profanity-laced attack against my wife. This attack ad literally uses symbols to indicate profanity against Michele -- something I have never seen before in a campaign advertisement. But while you and I can see through Tarryl Clark's transparent attempts to lure my wife into a grade school cussing match, others in our home district and around the country who don't know Michele may believe these attacks. That's why I'm reaching out to you today to help Michele fight back. Based on the advertising information we have received, Tarryl Clark is going to spend at least $150,000 smearing Michele on TV this week alone. We're planning to launch a counter offensive and must immediately raise $150,000 by Friday to respond. Will you follow this link to pitch in $25, $50, $100, $250 or more to help Michele defend herself against these vulgar attacks? Of course you won't see the mainstream media condemn this behavior, because as we have seen with Sarah Palin - anything is fair game when you are running against a conservative -- and effective -- woman. And of course the liberal-left is cheering these attacks on. Michele is a dedicated wife, mother, foster mother, friend, and respected member of our community. I'm outraged to see Tarryl Clark stoop to this desperate low point. Clark believes her ad with foul language will distract voters away from her support for Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi's leftist policies. Michele is focused on representing our values in Congress and she doesn't need to use foul language to get that point across. So I ask that you help Michele raise $150,000 to stand up to these character assassins. We cannot allow them to win and every dollar you generously give today will be used to fight back against these attacks. My wife continues to amaze me each day as she stands up to her critics to defend our values. But I know she cannot stand alone. She needs to know you stand with her. Please follow this link to generously give any amount you can afford to show Michele you support her and denounce these offensive attacks. Thank you so much for your support of Michele and her campaign. Sincerely, Marcus Bachmann P.S. Tarryl Clark has joined her liberal friends in launching vulgar attacks on my wife. She has released a $150,000 attack ad that uses profanity directed at Michele and we need your immediate support to fight back. Will you help Michele raise $150,000 by Friday to fund a response based on the issues in this campaign? Your support means all the difference as Michele continues to fight for our values. That's telling 'em, Macho-Man Marcus!

Dan Severson - Bachmann Fellow Traveler, Liar and Pod Person

Bluestem Prairie took note of the audio we put up of Bradlee Dean's interview with Dan Severson and fact-checked Severson's claim that there was something fishy about the Coleman/Franken recount: In that interview, Severson repeats his standard stump speech line that one piece of evidence of "fraud" in the Coleman-Franken recount is that ""in a normal recount like that, you see some back and forth, some give and take on that thing. That didn''t happen. And that was one of the things Ritchie orchestrated..." Now, that piqued my memory, as I recall seeing accounts of just that across the days of the recount. I asked some friends who posted about the recount more closely on their blogs about the Severson claim. Jeff Rosenberg, now blogging regularly at MNPublius, produced the image of the graph below, which had been posted at his now-defunct blog, Twin Cities Daily Liberal. As is clearly llustrated, the Franken-Coleman numbers went back and forth. Indeed, on the 14th day of the recount, Franken was down by more votes than when the recount began. LIke Bachmann, Severson is a habitual liar and to buttress that statement I submit additional proof from a 2007 article in the Saint Cloud Times (via the Dump Mark Olson blog): "[Rep. Dan] Severson and Rep. Mark Olson, R-Big Lake, called for new approaches to funding and for studying transportation alternatives, such as a system of elevated rails on which small pods travel a fixed route, known as Personal Rapid Transit." Here's a pic of Bachmann holding a Severson sign - Bachmann and Severson, two lying peas in a pod.

Bachmann's Pardon Pal Frank Vennes Jr. Back in the News

PiPress article about a clawback suit related to tthe Petters Ponzi scheme mentions Frank Vennes Jr. Tuesday's lawsuit says that Fry started investing in Petters' notes as early as 1996 through Metro Gem Inc., a firm operated by Frank Vennes. Vennes — who at one time lived in Shorewood — brought investors to Petters, court documents say. Soon after the Petters scheme was uncovered in 2008, all of Vennes' assets were put into receivership, but Vennes has never been charged with any crime. Fry is not facing criminal charges, either. Bachmann wrote a letter in support of a pardon for Frank Vennes Jr., a major donor to her campaign.

Michele Bachmann's Duck and Cover Debate Strategy

Read all about it at Ripple in Stillwater. During this campaign season, Bachmann has predictably ignored invitations to debate her two opponents, DFLer Tarryl Clark and IP candidate Bob Anderson, until public pressure from even the normally reticent mainstream media became too great. And now that we are less than a month out from the Nov. 2 election, Bachmann has cowardly agreed to a mere three debates—none of which will be before a live audience and only one of which will even be in her district. The most glaring example of how Bachmann has abrogated her duty to represent the 6th Congressional District is the October 7 debate sponsored by the Minnesota Broadcasters Association that was scheduled to be broadcast from WCCO’s television studios—again, insulated from a living, breathing audience of her constituents. According to Jim du Bois, president and CEO of the Minnesota Broadcasters Association, Bachmann was first contacted about the MBA debate in late August—at least five weeks ago. And then they waited. And waited. And waited. The response? Crickets. Further attempts to get Bachmann to commit to a debate sponsored by the organization that represents Minnesota’s broadcast community were futile. “We never did receive a response from Congresswoman Bachmann’s office,” says du Bois. “We kept open the option of going with the debate with just two of the three candidates, but we weren’t really sure we could get it done within the timetable WCCO had.” Eventually, explains du Bois, “We waited so long that WCCO’s window went away … It came up to the wire and we lost the opportunity to debate.” Was Bachmann too busy with her congressional duties that she couldn’t find time to even respond to the MBA, much less debate? Hardly. As it turns out, she had other priorities that superseded such menial obligations before the unwashed masses. Bachmann was scheduled to offer her “insightful critique” at the “Reclaiming America: The Taking Back Congress Tour” sponsored by wingnut radio WWTC at Orchestra Hall that same night—a half-block away. Clearly, the choice was easy for Bachmann: spend a night debating her opponents in the most expensive congressional race in America, or spend a night hobnobbing with the likes of Hugh Hewitt, Ed Morrisey and Dennis Prager at a $225-per-VIP soiree. Read the whole thing.

Video Shows How The Right-Wing Spin Machine Makes Bachmann's Vapid Grandstanding Look Good

Michele Bachmann Skipped Real Debate So She Could "Debate" People She Agrees With

We posted yesterday about Bachmann skipping out the Minnesota Broadcasters Association televised debate October 7th to go to a right-wing shindig in Minneapolis. Now, one of her right-wing buddies is covering her cowardly derriere by referring to the wingnut-woodstock as a "debate": We’re moving The Ed Morrissey Show to the morning today, and broadcasting live to the Twin Cities on AM 1280 The Patriot starting at 8 am CT/9 am ET! I’ll be promoting the Reclaiming America: The Taking Back Congress Tour event here in Minneapolis on October 7th, which I will also be hosting. Hugh Hewitt, Dennis Prager, and Michele Bachmann will have a no-holds barred debate over the choices Americans have in these midterm elections at Orchestra Hall, but before that, we’ll also have a dinner with listeners who join us before. Tune in to find out how you can be part of this great event, and perhaps win a couple of tickets, too! Holy Orwell, Batman!!! It's not a debate when people agree with each other!

Bachmann and Pals Trading Cards - #5 "Bobby Thompson"

From now until the election, Dump Bachmann will be presenting a series of trading cards called "Bachmann and Pals" featuring some of Bachmann's associates. See all the cards at the Dump Bachmann Trading card blog. Click on the trading card to make it bigger for downloading: From Karl Bremer's post about Bachmann's pal who goes by the name "Bobby Thompson": “Thompson’s” $10,000 donation to Bachmann’s congressional campaign, which was shared with the Republican Party of Minnesota, would have qualified him for a table for 10 at the fundraiser, as well as a photo shoot with the two Tea Party queens. However, Bachmann’s campaign has refused to confirm or deny whether “Thompson” actually attended her big-buck affair. After considerable negative publicity over her connection to the alleged fraudster, Bachmann’s campaign reportedly gave her $4,800 portion of the proceeds to other veterans’ groups. The Republican Party of Minnesota claimed it was going to donate its remaining portion of the dirty money to charity as well. “Thompson,” a former Florida resident, for unknown reasons took a shine to Minnesota Republican politicians and the Republican Party of Minnesota. Besides the $10,000 he gave to Bachmann, he made the following donations to other Minnesota Republicans and GOP entities: • $21,500 to Republican Norm Coleman’s Senate re-election campaign from 2006-2008 • $7,000 to the Minnesota House Republican Campaign Committee in 2008-2009 • $10,400 to the Republican Party of Minnesota from 2008-2010 • $500 to former Rep. Marty Seifert’s Seifert for Governor Campaign in 2009 • $500 to Republican David J. Carlson’s Citizens for David Carlson committee in House District 67B in 2008. Read the whole thing.

Bachmann Agrees to Only 3 Debates - Skips Debate to Raise $$$ in Minneapolis

Bachmann has apparently agreed to only 3 debates according to MPR: The "At Issue" debate with 6th District candidates at KSTP Studios on October 31st MPR's Midday program October 28th. St. Cloud Chamber Of Commerce October 26th Tarryl Clark Campaign blog: Tarryl Clark's campaign for Congress today announced it has agreed to participate in at least six debates across the 6th Congressional District - but voters may still have to wait to hear a discussion of the issues from the two main contenders. Already, one major debate has been called off because of Congresswoman Bachmann's refusal to commit. The Minnesota Broadcasters Association had scheduled a televised debate for October 7th. Clark had agreed to participate, but the debate has been indefinitely postponed because of Bachmann's lack of response. Why doesn't Bachmann have time to debate the issues facing 6th CD voters October 7th? Bachmann will be attending the AM 1280 Patriot "Reclaiming America" Event:

Tim Pawlenty Wastes Taxpayers' $$$ on Promoting Bachmann's Pods

City Pages Blotter: ​The Pawlenty administration has approved at least $150,000 since the start of the year on personal rapid transit system studies. That's despite the fact that key state lawmakers have told MnDOT not to waste taxpayer dollars on PRT and podcars. Isn't it usually the governor who brags about stopping the Legislature from spending money on pointless projects during tough economic times? Nevertheless, according to an audit obtained by City Pages, the state now has three contracts with the University of Minnesota to explore the technology. The Humphrey Institute: $46,000 to study PRT statewide. The Humphrey Instutute: $19,000 to study PRT at Minneapolis St. Paul airport The Center for Transportation Studies: $35,509 for PRT workshops in Rochester and Minneapolis Reporters need to ask Bachmann if she still supports wasting taxpayers' money on the pods. More about this pathetic waste of public money at the PRT Boondoggle blog.

Tarryl Clark Campaign: "Tarryl is ready to debate Michele Bachmann"

Zach Rodvold: Will Michele Bachmann debate? That was the question asked by Minnesota Public Radio last week, and the Bachmann campaign's response was... well, confusing. They claim that they've agreed to several "venues" but no actual debates. They say they'll debate but won't say when or where. Our position is clear: we're ready to have an honest debate of the issues with Michele Bachmann. So what's she afraid of? We envisioned what a debate with Michele Bachmann might look like - and I think it shows why she's so afraid to debate Tarryl... MODERATOR: "What is your plan for preserving Social Security for future retirees?" TARRYL: "We need to protect and preserve Social Security, not just for current recipients but for all future retirees." MICHELE: "Basically what we have to do is wean everybody else off." MODERATOR: "What is your position on the compensation fund for victims of the BP spill?" TARRYL: "I support it. Oil spill victims shouldn't have to sit in the courts for 20 years before being compensated." MICHELE: "It seems that it's all about extortion." MODERATOR: "With so many people struggling to make ends meet, what's your position on the minimum wage?" TARRYL: "We need to create jobs that pay a decent wage in order to get the economy back on track." MICHELE: "Literally, if we took away the minimum wage - if conceivably it was gone - we could potentially virtually wipe out unemployment completely because we would be able to offer jobs at whatever level." As you can see, when Michele Bachmann says what she actually thinks, it's often problematic for her. We haven't seen much of Congresswoman Bachmann here in Minnesota lately, though. She refuses interviews, skips public events, and doesn't appear to want to say much about anything to the folks here at home - maybe because she knows she's on the wrong side of the issues. Whatever the case, Tarryl is ready to debate Michele Bachmann, and we announced today six debates we've accepted. We'll see if Bachmann comes out of hiding to have a real discussion of the issues at hand. These are the debates Tarryl Clark has accepted: Here are the five debates: October 12th: Debate hosted by the Stillwater Gazette, Stillwater October 15th: Debate hosted by North Metro Television, Blaine October 18th: Debate hosted by the Monticello Chamber of Commerce, Monticello October 26th: Debate hosted by the Minnesota News Network, St. Cloud October 31st: At Issue, KSTP Studios The Strib reports that Sergio Gor is still being evasive.

Minnesota AG Office Looking Into U.S. Navy Vets Scam

AG joins seven other states, IRS and VA looking into shady nonprofit and its commander-on-the-lam, who donated thousands to Minnesota Republican politicians and Minnesota GOP By Karl Bremer Copyright 2010. The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office has confirmed to Ripple in Stillwater that it is now investigating the allegedly fraudulent U.S. Navy Veterans Association (USNVA), whose Minnesota chapter raised over $1.56 million in Minnesota from 2004-2009 using nothing more than a St. Paul UPS drop box for an address. The group’s Minnesota chapter folded mysteriously in May in the wake of growing investigations nationwide, citing pending legal problems for the organization. The investigations were sparked by a year-long investigation of the USNVA by the St. Petersburg (FL) Times. Although the extent of the Minnesota AG’s investigation into the group and its alleged identity-stealing leader is not known at this point, Ben Wogsland, spokesperson for Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson, told Ripple in Stillwater last Friday that “we are looking into this.” A nationwide arrest warrant for identity fraud was issued in August by an Ohio court for a suspect formerly known as “Bobby Charles Thompson,” commander of the shady USNVA. “Thompson,” the only officer among dozens listed for the organization whose existence has ever been confirmed, was listed as commander of the Minnesota chapter of the USNVA until 2009, but has disappeared since he and his group have come under fire. THE STILLWATER CONNECTION The group ran largely under the radar in Minnesota until a series of investigative reports I wrote beginning July 6 revealed that “Thompson” had donated $10,000 to Congresswoman Michele Bachmann of Stillwater on April 7, the same day as a Minneapolis fundraiser featuring former half-term governor Sarah Palin. One of the last known public appearances by Thompson may have been at the Bachmann-Palin event. “Thompson’s” $10,000 donation to Bachmann’s congressional campaign, which was shared with the Republican Party of Minnesota, would have qualified him for a table for 10 at the fundraiser, as well as a photo shoot with the two Tea Party queens. However, Bachmann’s campaign has refused to confirm or deny whether “Thompson” actually attended her big-buck affair. After considerable negative publicity over her connection to the alleged fraudster, Bachmann’s campaign reportedly gave her $4,800 portion of the proceeds to other veterans’ groups. The Republican Party of Minnesota claimed it was going to donate its remaining portion of the dirty money to charity as well. “Thompson,” a former Florida resident, for unknown reasons took a shine to Minnesota Republican politicians and the Republican Party of Minnesota. Besides the $10,000 he gave to Bachmann, he made the following donations to other Minnesota Republicans and GOP entities: • $21,500 to Republican Norm Coleman’s Senate re-election campaign from 2006-2008 • $7,000 to the Minnesota House Republican Campaign Committee in 2008-2009 • $10,400 to the Republican Party of Minnesota from 2008-2010 • $500 to former Rep. Marty Seifert’s Seifert for Governor Campaign in 2009 • $500 to Republican David J. Carlson’s Citizens for David Carlson committee in House District 67B in 2008. In addition, the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board is investigating a different—and potentially fraudulent—$500 campaign contribution to former House Minority Leader Marty Seifert in 2009 that’s linked to the USNVA. NAVY VETS' OTHER STILLWATER CONNECTION “Thompson “ also has ties to Stillwater lobbyist Edwin E. Cain, a close friend of Bachmann's. Cain, who was hired as a consultant by the USNVA to lobby for the group in Virginia last year, and a Mary Cain from the same Stillwater address, also a lobbyist, donated $500 each to David Carlson’s House campaign on the same day as Thompson’s donation was recorded. Thompson and the Cains represented three of the top six individual donors to Carlson’s campaign that year. While Bachmann and the Republican Party of Minnesota reportedly gave away the $10,000 they took from “Thompson” at the April 7 Bachmann-Palin shindig, there is no indication that other recipients of “Thompson’s” largesse intend to dispense of their allegedly ill-gotten gains. Minnesota is at least the eighth state to be looking into the USNVA. Other states investigating the alleged fraudulent operations of the group include Hawaii, New Mexico, Oregon, Missouri, Ohio, Virginia and Florida. Attorneys general in several states have shut their operations down and in Ohio, a judge has frozen the organization’s bank accounts. IRS, Veterans Administration, and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services agents seized computer records and documents—some already shredded—from the Tampa-area offices of associates of “Bobby Thompson” this summer. The seizures were made in connection with investigations into the organization by the three agencies. $1.56 MILLION RAISED THROUGH A UPS BOX The USNVA operated for over five years in Minnesota out of a UPS drop box on Grand Avenue in St. Paul in apparent violation of state charities laws. State law requires charitable organizations like the USNVA to register with the Attorney General's Office and file annual reports listing both a “mailing address” and a “physical address.” Yet since it started soliciting funds in Minnesota in 2005, the USNVA never registered any physical address at all with the Attorney General's Office or the IRS—a clear violation of that requirement. Every address listed in the group's state or federal filings leads to drop boxes at UPS stores in St. Paul, Washington, DC, and Tampa, FL. Even though the Minnesota Chapter of the USNVA officially dissolved in May, its St. Paul-area phone number listed with the Attorney General’s Charities Division—651.645.4570—still carried a message as of Oct. 3, 2010, that says “we are away from our desk” and suggests the group is still operating here. Out of more than $1.14 million the U.S. Navy Veterans Association Minnesota Chapter claims to have spent on charitable programs and services in Minnesota since 2004, only $26,300 can be positively accounted for: two $10,000 donations to a St. Paul Veterans Center in 2007 and one $6,300 donation to Twin Cities Public Television in 2008 The rest of the money from the organization that went to benefit individuals was allegedly spent to provide such generic things as “direct cash assistance,” food, clothing, publications, “care packages” for service members, and “psychological counseling and comfort” for survivors of veterans. But there is little evidence or documentation of those services in records filed with the state or IRS. Furthermore, the officers for the Minnesota Chapter of the USNVA cannot be found, nor can any address for the group other than UPS drop boxes in St. Paul and several other states be located. WHO ARE YOU, WHO, WHO, WHO, WHO? The Ohio arrest warrant was issued by Hamilton County Municipal Court and orders “Thompson” to appear on charges of identity fraud. A detective’s affidavit accompanying the arrest warrant alleges that “Thompson” fraudulently used the Florida identification card of a Bobby Charles Thompson now living in Washington to open a UPS post office box in Cincinnati in April 2003. It also alleges that “Thompson” fraudulently solicited charitable contributions in excess of $100,000 in Ohio from 2003-2010; fraudulently filed annual reports with the state; and falsely stated that the UPS drop box was the organization’s primary Ohio office. “Our investigators have determined that this individual stole the identity of someone else and used that as the centerpiece of an apparent scam that has continued for seven years and involved tens of millions of dollars,” Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray said. “The real Bobby Thompson, whose identity was stolen, including his Social Security number and date of birth, has absolutely no connection to the U.S. Navy Veterans Association. We don't know who this individual is yet, but we do know that he is not Bobby Thompson.” Cordray suggested that money collected under the guise of the USNVA may have been used to finance political contributions made by “Thompson.” An August 5 press release from Cordray’s office states: “There appears to be very little evidence that the organization spent money actually helping veterans or their families. Yet public records do show hundreds of thousands of dollars in political contributions to various candidates made by “Bobby Thompson” personally or through the political action committee he created and to which he was the sole contributor, NAVPAC.” Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, another Republican officeholder, recently announced that he was finally giving away $55,700 in campaign contributions he received from “Thompson,” but it took a firestorm of public protest for him to do it. Anyone who saw “Bobby Thompson” at the April 7 Bachmann-Palin fundraiser, or has seen him anywhere else, is urged to contact the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation at 740.845.2224 or 800.282.3784. More information on “Thompson” can be found here. Cross-posted at Ripple in Stillwater.

Rep. Dan Severson is a Fan of Bigot Bradlee Dean

Not since the Romanovs were seduced by Rasputin, have so many people in government fallen under the influence of a bizarre, religious crank. Longhaired, drum-banging. tattooed, homo-bigot Bradlee Dean has a a bunch of fans among MN GOP politicos - Michele Bachmann, Tom Emmer, Teresa Collett, Mary Kiffmeyer... and now, candidate for Minnesota Secretary of State Dan Severson. Severson is the latest Republican to go on Bradlee Dean's creepy AM 1280 "Sons of Liberty" radio show. Rep. Severson was on the show yesterday to spin conspiracy theories about election "fraud": The interview with Severson came after an epic, hateful rant by Bradlee Dean & Jake about the Star Tribune article about gay teen suicide and the Anoka-Hennepin schools (see Eva's post)- of course Bradlee Dean blames the gays who he says "are after your kids". When I listen to Bradlee Dean's weekly rants about the "homosexual agenda" what comes to mind is Radio Rwanda. Bradlee Dean once again repeats the classic "Mexican Pet" urban legend to suggest that gay people are like rats - vermin. Listen:

Gay Teen Suicide Local Issue in Michele Bachmann's District

The Strib has a front page story about how school districts in Minnesota are struggling over policies addressing treating gay students fairly. The Anoka Hennepin School District is featured prominently. There was a time when Justin Anderson pondered suicide. During his freshman and sophomore years at Blaine High School, he hadn't quite come to terms with being gay. He needed help. But how do you go about getting it? "I wanted to talk to someone, but I was too scared to seek someone out," said the 18-year-old, now a student at Anoka-Ramsey Community College. "When I was closeted going through high school and middle school, I never heard anything positive about a gay person or a positive portrayal of gay issues. Only that gays were Holocaust victims." Recent news about GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender)-related suicides involving high school students in the Anoka-Hennepin school district, as well as a Rutgers University student who plunged to his death off New York City's George Washington Bridge, have brought into sharp focus the pressures that can haunt GLBT youth. In Anoka-Hennepin early this week, GLBT advocates charged that school officials are not doing enough to support GLBT students. They targeted a district policy stating that sexual orientation isn't part of the district curriculum and therefore teachers should remain "neutral" in dealing with such issues. Advocates said seven suicides in the past year by students who attended or were connected with Anoka-Hennepin schools added a sense of urgency to their campaign. Four of those suicides, they said, were "based on their perceived GLBT orientation." GLBT students are often harassed. Many struggle with their own identity. They're also considered to be at higher risk for suicide than other students. A local gay-advocacy group says nearly two-thirds of metro area school districts don't include sexual orientation in their harassment policies. As Avidor pointed out, when this issue came up while Michele Bachmann was in the State Senate, Bachmann's concern about anti-bullying legislation was that it would "turn boys into girls."

MPR: Bachmann Campaign " Affirmatively Responded" to Debate Requests, But Won't Name Them

MPR's Annie Baxter: I've been trying to pin down whether there will be any debates between Republican U.S. House Rep. Michele Bachmann, DFLer Tarryl Clark, and IP candidate Bob Anderson. So far, it seems that at least two possible debates were canceled because Bachmann didn't participate. That's not necessarily big news. The candidates get loads of debate requests. And last year, it appears that Bachmann limited her participation to two debates. But a conversation with Bachmann's spokesman, Sergio Gor, left me pretty confused. I *think* he said she'll be doing some debates, but that message seemed to change a few times in the course of our chat. Read the transcript at MPR. Bachmann likes to portray herself as a fearless foe of the libruls... so why isn't Michele "Mama Grizzly" Bachmann eager to debate Tarryl Clark? What is Bachmann afraid of?

Bullying Caused Teen Suicides - Bachmann Opposed to Anti-Bullying Legislation

The Daily Mail: America's gay community is struggling to come to terms with a disturbing trend of teenage boys committing suicide after being bullied about their sexuality. Four teenagers have taken their own lives in separate incidents during the last month alone. On Thursday chat show host Ellen DeGeneres used her daytime programme to call for action to tackle the 'epidemic' of suicides among gay young men. She expressed her shock at the death last week of Tyler Clementi, the 18-year-old who killed himself after his roommate allegedly recorded him having sex with another man. DeGeneres said the recent tragedies should act as a 'wake up' call to the dangers of teenage bullying. During the last month, three other teenagers have committed suicide following bullying from their peers. On September 23, Asher Brown, from Houston, Texas, shot himself in the head after reportedly being bullied. His parents said the 13-year-old's death came after he had endured constant harassment and bullying while at school. It's not just a tragedy for the victim: Police investigating Seth's death have said some of those who allegedly abused him 'broke down in tears' because 'they had never seen this outcome' and wished they had stopped the bullying. Clearly, a campaign in schools to prevent bullying and save lives is a good idea... right? Michele Bachmann says no ... From the DB archives (2006): Bachmann on schoolyard bullying: i think for all us our experience in public schools is there have always been bullies, always have been, always will be. i just don't know how we're ever going to get to point of zero tolerance and what does it mean? I guess, several questions that was comment, one question would be what would be our definition of bullying? will it get to the point where we are completely stifling free speech and expression? will it mean that what form of behavior will there be, will we be expecting boys to be girls what is it exactly that we're asking for? i don't say that as a sexist comment but there are just differences with boys and girls when they're on the playground, when they're in the classroom. None of us like inappropriate behavior, none of us like sassy children, but there's just a fact of life that as we grow up, we're kind of little barbarians when we're two and our process as mothers and fathers is to civilize our children. I just don't know how we can realistically expect a zero tolerance of bullying behavior. Reporters need to ask Bachmann if she believes teen suicide is "just a fact of life ".